2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

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HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorMcERLEAN JOINS USTA BOARDAt the annual membership meeting of District 12of the United States Trotting Association, held inFreehold, NJ, HTA board chairman and formerpresident Chris McErlean was elected a USTAdirector. McErlean fills the spot formerly held byBruce Garland.AUSSIE STAR SERIOUSLY HURTTed Demmler, the first Australasian harness racingdriver to win 3,000 races and winner of the 1987World Driving Championship in Germany, has beeninjured seriously in a racing accident at theWarragul ‘country track’ in Australia. A four-timeAustralian champion, he was listed in serious conditionwith a broken bone in his neck, a puncturedlung and several broken ribs, according to a reportin The Harness Edge.DOGS FACE MUSIC ONCE AGAINGreyhound racing in Massachusetts, which surviveda 51-49 per cent vote for survival five yearsago, may have to fight another attack next year.The Humane Society of the United States, theMassachusetts Society for the Prevention of Crueltyto Animals, the greyhound protection groupGREY2K, and the Animal Rescue League of Bostonhave joined forces and told the Boston Globethey have collected almost twice as many signaturesas the 65,825 needed to put a measure toban the sport on the ballot in November, 2006. Thechairwoman of the ballot committee formed by theanti-dog racing groups says they have collectedmore than 110,000 signatures since Sept. 21, whenthe drive started. The petition is due to be submittedto the municipal clerk’s office in Boston tomorrowevening. As the proposal now reads, itwould phase out greyhound racing in Massachusettsentirely by Jan. 1, 2008. GaryGuccione, executive director of the NationalGreyhound Assn., called the group’sclaims of cruelty “ludicrous.”November 22, 2005MORE ABOUT MILLENIUMA few more details about the purchase of TheMeadows from Magna Entertainment for $225million have surfaced in Las Vegas, including thenot-surprising news that the entire deal is contingenton the new owners getting a slots license.Those new owners, Bill Paulos and Bill Wortman,operate as Millenium Gaming, and own the CanneryCasino and operate the Rampart Casinothere. They and private investor Oaktree CapitalManagement out of Los Angeles agreed to purchase100% of Magna’s interest in the track, buthave Magna’s present management team run thetrack for five years. When slots come to Pennsylvania-- and that does not appear imminent -- TheMeadows would wind up with 3,000 slots, andcould extend that number to 5,000 under presentstate law. The Millenium-Oaktree partnershiphopes to obtain a temporary license and open acasino as early as the third quarter of 2007, butit apparently has not dealt with the PennsylvaniaHarness Racing Commission, which does notdo things quickly. It is now 16 months sincegovernor Ed Rendell signed the slots bill in thestate, and that long or longer since the commissionbegan studying two applications for the finalharness racing license before deciding thatit liked neither one. Paulos acknowledged asmuch when he said, “It’s been a very slow-movingprocess,” noting that each part of the statewants to get their fair share. He claimed that“there are things happening behind the scenes,and the state is still taking applications.” Paulossays Millenium won’t close on the deal until itis licensed, and consequently is not fronting alot of money. He called the Pittsburgh area amajor feeder market “with great demographics.”Although Harrah’s already is in Pennsylvania,and the Venetian and Planet Hollywoodare hoping to be with free standing casinos, BoydGaming says it looked at The Meadows andpassed.
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorGUESS WE WERE THE LUCKY ONESWe thought we had problems at the HTA art auction,when a wild man showed up bidding untilwe discovered Amex disavowed him. Fortunatelyhe never laid a hand on any of the art, and wegot Humpty Dumpty put back together again.That pales in comparison with the problems theNew York Racing Association is encountering intrying to sell its art to stay afloat. The 19 NYRAworks, including old masters, are still scheduledto be sold a week from tomorrow at Sotheby’s,but it is questionable if that auction house willproceed after receiving a copy of a letter sentby New York Racing and Wagering Board chairmanMike Hoblock to NYRA president CharlesHayward. Hoblock reportedly told Hayward thesale was “unauthorized” and threatened legalaction against NYRA and Sotheby’s if the auctionwas held. New York’s recently appointedRacing Oversight Board, which speaks for governorGeorge Pataki, followed suit. Sotheby’shas issued a $50 catalog for the sale, which canbe viewed on their Web sitewww.Sothebys.com. The price estimates rangefrom $10,000 to $400,000 for John FrederickHerring’s painting of The Flying Dutchman, althougha lone harness racing piece is estimatedat $5,000 to $7,000. There are nine works byfamed American equine artist Henry Stull, a starof the late 1890s. If you bid and don’t get anyof these, we’ll be happy to oblige you with HTAart for far lower prices, and with no court actioninvolved, as it appears it might be in NewYork. If HTA track participation in its own artauctions is any indication, NYRA had better notcount on that source for its hoped-for bailout.At last report, Sotheby’s still plans on goingahead with the auction. A spokesman, MatthewWeigman, said, “The sale hasn’t been canceled.There were issues that wereraised. Sotheby’s is waiting for these issuesto be resolved.”November 23, 2005SOME FUN FOR LIBERTY MEDIALiberty Media, John Malone’s huge media empirethat includes The Discovery Channel, TheShopping Network and QVC, has agreed to paysome $195 million for a 51% share in Fun Technologies,a Toronto-based online game developer.Fun was developed three years ago by LorneAbony and Andrew Rivkin, two co-founders ofCyrptoLogic Inc., a software company. It runs aninteractive television game-show service for theU.S. cable TV channel GSN, and it now employs200 people. Fun’s games, unlike online poker andother interactive games that are the mainstay ofCryptologic’s business, are not considered onlinegambling. One of its biggest hits has been Lingo,an interactive, real-time online spelling game show.Abony, Fun’s CEO, says the company is the marketleader in two of the fastest growing sectors ofonline gaming, skill gaming and fantasy sports.The Liberty investment gives Fun a market valueof some $480 million.8 BREEDERS CROWNS AT BIG MThe Meadowlands takes over harness racing’sspotlight again Saturday night, when it presentseight Breeders Crown championships for 2- and3-year-olds of both gaits and sexes. The pursesfor the eight races total $4.3 million, and as usualsome season’s champions+hips could be clinchedor lost in the big show. HTA racing secretaries,incidentally, will be polled early next week for theirchoices for their champions, since time is neededto notify owners in time to obtain room reservationsfor the Night of Stars Wednesday, Feb.6, atBellagio in Las Vegas. The gala awards dinnerwill be part of the quadrennial Racing Congress,and HTA executives are reminded that room reservationsat our special convention rate will remainopen only through Dec. 31.The HTA staff is being given a holiday breather.Happy Thanksgiving. We’ll see you Monday.
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HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICA‘FRIENDS
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HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAINDIAN CLA
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HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICABALA SENTE
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2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

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